Wattpad is partnering with Turner, owner of TV networks like TBS and TNT, to give its writers the opportunity to have their stories adapted for Turner’s networks.
The initial focus of the partnership will be on the upcoming Tales from the Crypt show, a horror anthology airing on Turner’s TNT and featuring executive producer M. Night Shyamalan. Turner and Wattpad will also source content for both TNT and sister network TBS. The partnership includes access to Wattpad insights and data, which will assist Turner in identifying upcoming talent through Wattpad’s 45 million users, and genre trends. The networks will also work with Wattpad to share story ideas with the Wattpad community to get feedback.
“Our partnership with Wattpad is a perfect intersection of content and fan engagement, where fans actually have the chance to directly influence and, in some cases even have their material optioned and developed by our networks,” said Justin Williams, senior vice president of digital ventures for TNT and TBS. “We’re especially excited to kick off our collaboration with a focus on TNT’s Tales from the Crypt, which will tap into Wattpad’s strength in the horror genre.”
Tales from the Crypt is set to air next year. TNT and Wattpad is inviting writers to bring story ideas forward through contests and other opportunities announced on the official Turner profile on Wattpad.
In April, Wattpad announced the launch of a multi-channel network, Wattpad Studios, with the purpose of establishing partnerships with the entertainment industry.
“There are many ways we can help the entertainment industry zero-in on new voices and stories with massive, built-in fan-bases. Through our partnership with Turner, Wattpad’s powerful insights, roster of influential writers, and hyper-engaged community of fans will help define the new scary,” said Aron Levitz, head of Wattpad Studios. “The eagerly-anticipated Tales from the Crypt horror block marks the future of television where leading networks source content from fans and build programming together with the audience.”
